Roanoke Valley To Be “HOG Heaven” as Major Regional Harley Rally is Coming

Mayor Sherman Lea straddles a Harley with other supporters of next Spring's "Hog" rally.
Mayor Sherman Lea straddles a Harley surrounded by (L-R) Salem City Manager Kevin Boggess, Visit VA Blue Ridge Board Member Lee Wilhelm and Visit VA’s Blue President Landon Howard.

There have been statewide rallies by the Harley Owners Group (H.O.G) in Roanoke before, but the famed Harley-Davidson Motor Company is taking a different tack next June 7-10.

The “Merging Mountains Harley Owners Group Rally” will be a regional affair, attracting an estimated 2500 motorcycle enthusiasts from five states, including the Carolinas, West Virginia and Kentucky. There’s an open invitation to HOG owners in other states as well.

“More bikes, more people enjoying what we have to offer,” said Larry Landolt of the jump from a statewide HOG rally to a regional event next spring, “we’re just pleased as punch that they are going to be here. It’s going to be epic.”

Riders will come here to sample what Roanoke has to offer when they are not taking what regional manager Todd “Thor” Robinson called “epic rides” in the area. The rally was announced under the Mill Mountain Star recently and included greetings from Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea, Salem City Manager Kevin Boggess and others.

The Blue Ridge Parkway, Route 311 over to New Castle and Route 221 towards Floyd should provide plenty of scenery and less-congested routes for those that want to get out on the open road while in town next June.

“They want epic riding and they want to go to places that want us,” said Robinson of why Roanoke was chosen. Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge (formerly the Convention and Visitor’s Bureau) helped bring Merging Mountains to town and is a co-host for the rally. “Roanoke reached out … and really kind of embraced us to come here. The roads around here are epic if nothing else. There’s great riding.”

Landon Howard, president of Visit Virginia’s Blue Ridge opened up the rally announcement event on Mill Mountain with this statement: “Tourism works . . . and [This] is a very big piece of business.”

Roanoke Mayor Sherman Lea was given a HOG rally t-shirt, and spoke briefly before being photographed sitting on a Harley bike. “It’s a great day … we’re honored and delighted to have you here – pleased that you have selected this area. We need revenue – we need more business to come in.”

HOG rallies stay away from big cities for obvious reasons – the traffic for starters – and look for places that reach out like Roanoke. “It’s really difficult to find the towns that really want you there,” said Robinson, “the ones that embrace you as a culture are really important too.” Early estimates are that the Merging Mountains rally should pump 3-4 million dollars into the local economy during the estimated 4 to 5 night stay.

One local company that will benefit is Tour Roanoke, which takes people on jaunts to local craft brewers, wine vineyards and eateries via buses. Regional HOG rally coordinator Jo Ann Emmons contacted Larry Landolt to see if Tour Roanoke would be willing to shuttle bikers around to see various local sites when they are not out on those epic rides. “They want a lot of other things to do, they want to enjoy the region,” says Landolt, “they want to go to the breweries, they want to see the wineries and the other local activities that we have here.”

Emmons believes enthusiasm for the rally will continue to build over the next ten months. “This is the first time that an event this size will be held in the area. We’re going to kick it up a notch.”

Emmons also said it was rare to attract an event of this size. Planning has already begun with help from the local Harley dealership. The rally will begin with a kick off event next June during a Salem Red Sox home baseball game.

By Gene Marrano

 

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